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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · toast · snap · root · mate · swing · stand · game

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mate — a friend
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. game — a match
  9. root — of a word
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to click
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com